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For ordinary Python-style numeric text, use float(text). If the text contains thousands separators, first confirm its number format: remove grouping commas only for a known format such as 1,234.56, or use locale.atof() when the input follows the active locale’s numeric conventions. Catch ValueError and, where relevant, OverflowError when parsing untrusted or variable input.
Convert a standard numeric string with float()
Python’s built-in float() returns a floating-point number constructed from a number or a string. It accepts text in Python’s documented float format, including decimal and exponent notation, optional signs, and surrounding whitespace:
value = float(" -12.5e2 ")
print(value) # -1250.0
The accepted format also includes spellings for infinity and NaN, as well as underscores between digits. Those forms can be useful in some contexts, but a successful conversion alone does not establish that a value is a finite measurement.
Handle strings that contain commas
A comma thousands separator is not part of the documented string grammar for float(). For a known format that uses commas for grouping and a period for the decimal mark, remove the grouping commas before conversion:
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text = "1,234.56"
value = float(text.replace(",", ""))
print(value) # 1234.56
This is safe only when the source format is known. In other conventions, a comma can be the decimal mark, so indiscriminately removing commas can change the value. When formats may vary, validate the expected format or parse according to a known locale instead of guessing.
Use locale-aware parsing when the input follows a locale
Python’s locale.atof() parses text according to the active LC_NUMERIC conventions. Configure the intended locale for the runtime and application before parsing; accepted punctuation depends on that configuration.
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import locale
# Configure the intended LC_NUMERIC locale for your application first.
value = locale.atof("1.234,56")
The example’s punctuation is appropriate only when the active locale uses that numeric convention. Locale names and availability vary across machines, and locale configuration affects the result, so do not assume a particular locale is installed or active.
Choose a parsing approach
| Approach | Use it for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
float(text) |
Python-style decimal or exponent notation | Simple and locale-independent; the documented grammar does not accept comma grouping. Python built-in functions documentation. |
Known-format normalization followed by float() |
A fixed, explicitly specified format such as 1,234.56 |
Direct, but normalization must match the source convention and avoid ambiguous separators. |
locale.atof(text) |
Text formatted using the active LC_NUMERIC convention |
Locale-aware, but dependent on process locale configuration. Python locale documentation. |
Handle invalid and out-of-range input
Malformed text raises ValueError; a value outside the range supported by a Python float can raise OverflowError. Catch the failures your input path may encounter and reject or report the input rather than silently substituting a number:
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try:
value = float(user_text)
except ValueError:
print("Enter a valid floating-point number.")
except OverflowError:
print("The number is outside the supported float range.")
If your application requires an ordinary finite value, check that condition after conversion because float() also accepts NaN and infinity spellings. Python’s documentation describes the accepted forms and conversion errors in its float() reference.
Do not use eval() to parse a number
Do not use eval(user_text) as a shortcut for conversion. It evaluates Python expressions rather than merely parsing a numeric string, creating a security risk for untrusted input. Use float() or an appropriate locale-aware parser; Python’s programming FAQ also cautions against using eval() for this purpose.
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